The Success Story of Santa Claus

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 274, 22 December 1939, Page 5 (Supplement)

The Success Story of Santa Claus

The Lean Emigrant who Became Boss of a Big Business

IVEKY year at this time the children begin looking for Santa Claus —the jolly man ! with a white beard, red suit, and a sleigh drawn by reindeer. Santa Claus has been so busy climbing down chimneys that he has not kept up his diary, so we cannot be quite sure, but it is probable that Christmas is also his Centenary.

It sounds silly, but Santa Claus has not always been “ Claus.” Once his name was Nicolas, and it was as Nicolas that he first_was raised to sainthood. He was lean then, and rather glum. lie dressed in black, like a bishop, and rode about on a white horse. Mostly he lived in a city called New Amsterdam, and did a small business with children in toys and sugar plums. His day was December 6th, and he used to ride round the town visiting all the children. lie rewarded good children — with gifts, but the naughty ones%| beat rods? changffvT'T f'V ' £•] Engliß": '% ■ v< ' - r *. V *- A'i TP ; " 1

Eve—just as their parents did in England. Who was so well qualified to fill them, according to how good or bad each child had been, than St. Nicolas? So round St. Nicolas had to go again on the 24th December. For a long time he had to make a double trip, but St. Nick, didn’t mind. His popularity with the children was increasing rapidly, and grown-ups as well as children were calling for him. lie was a father to all, and as he was growing old himself, had to give up one trip, so he changed his day to Christmas Eve. Being old, Claus felt the cold, s® he changed his black habit for the familiar red suit.

(The name “ Claus ” is an Americanisation of a prayer that Dutch children used to, recite: “ Sancte Claus, goed lielige man.”) The American writer Washington Irving was the first to describe him ... as a tubby little gentleman with a pipe, and jolly manner, who laid his finger BBBiMdMfcMid-Spedjifthrough the

Nash put the finishing touches to the dear old saint. From that time on St. Nicolas was known as Santa Claus. His toy and sugar plum trade grew and grew until lie had almost a monopoly of the gift business. In 1850 he got a sleigh—but had to push it himself or have children to help him. Soon he needed something faster, and writers provided him with a team of reindeer, which he still uses.

In England for centuries Christmas had been celebrated with a feast, plum pudding, holly and the wassail bowl. It was Queen Victoria who introduced the German custom of a decorated tree on which presents were hung. The idea took on, and proved immensely popular. Victoria loved gifts. - She piled her Christmas tree with gifts for her children and grandchildren, and what the Queen of England did, everyone copied. Christmas has always been a time for Royal giving. Queen received a pair of